Gyroscopic top and method of making same



Apr. 17,1923. 1,451,818

J. C. FORSTER GYROSCOPIC TOP AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed July 15', 1922 FIE.Z.

ulllllliiiiiiiiiiiiiflHim; '5" n [N VENTOI? Patented Apr. 1?, i923.

J OHN C. FORSTER, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

GYROSCOPIG TOP AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

Application filed July 15,

To all ii /2.0m it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN C. Fonsrnn, a

citizen of the U ited States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have made a new and useful Invention in Gyroscopic Tops and Methods of Making Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in gyroscopic tops and the method of making the rotors thereof, and an obgect is to simplify the construction and method of making the top disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 1,265,899 issued to me on May 14:, 1918.

As in said patent, the top consists of a weighted rotor mounted for rotation within two metal rings arranged at right angles one within the other. The rotor as in said patent consists of complementary metal disks spaced apart on a spindle with an annular weight confined between the disks adjacent their overlapping peripheral flanges.

The method of soldering the disks to the spindle as disclosed in said patent has proven to be more or less expensive and troublesome and an object of this invention is to provide a rotor in which the disks are secured to the spindle without the use of solder and a method of accomplishing this in a cheap and satisfactory manner.

Tn the drawings, Figure l is a detail view showing the parts of the rotor aside from the spindle prior to assembly. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the rotor and its spindle, the rotor being shown in section and Fig. 3 is a View in side elevation of a complete top embodying this invention.

The disks 4 and 5 are preferably stamped from thin sheet metal into formations arranged for overlapping relation at their pe ripheral flanges or edges 6 and 7 to provide an annular chamber 8 for the reception of weight rings 9 and 10 preferably formed of heavy wire. At the center of each disk, a circular boss 12 is formed to provide a centering pocket for a spacer made up of two annular disks 13 between which a more or less yielding washer 14E preferably formed of heavy paper is interposed.

Each disk has a hole 15 punched at its center. In punching these holes, the female die is countersunk so that when the hole is punched, the male die in contacting with the inside 16 of the disk, forces the metal into the countersunk portion and then 1922. Serial No. 575,185.

punches the hole 15. In this manner the metal of the disk surrounding the hole is forced outwardly away from the disk on one side thereof or beyond the plane of the face of boss 12. The hole in this form has a diameter to snugly fit spindle 17 upon which the rotor is to be mounted.

After the disks and spacer with the weights are assembled on the spindle, the outwardly extending flanges 18 of each disk are pressed or forced into the plane of the face of boss 12. At the same time, the edge 19 of flange 6 of disk 4: is bent or crimped over onto curved portion 20 of the disk 5 and the disks are thus simultaneously locked to gether and to the spindle. The rotor is then mounted in bearings carried by ring 21 which is encircled by ring 22.

I have found that this method of securing the assembled rotor and spindle together is much cheaper and more satisfactory than the method of soldering disclosed in my said patent.

Having thus described my invention,'what I claim is 1. The method of forming rotors for gyroscopic tops, which consists in forming complementary disks and in piercing the center of each disk in such manner that the metal surrounding the hole thus made is forced outwardly away from the disk on one side thereof, in assembling the disks on a spindle with an annular spacer surrounding the spindle and between the disks and then in forcing the portions of the disk in contact with the spindle against the spacer so that the disks are caused to rigidly grip the spindle.

2. The method of forming rotors for gyroscopic tops, which consists in forming complementary disks for arrangement in peripheral overlapping relation and in piercing the center of each disk in such manner that the metal surrounding the hole thus made is forced outwardly away from the plane of the disk on one side thereof, in assembling the. disks on a spindle with an annular spacer surrounding the spindle and between the disks and then in flattening the portions of the disk in contact with the spindle against the spacer, so that the disks are caused to rigidly grip the spindle and simultaneously with said flattening movement in bending over the outer peripheral edge of one disk to lock the disks together.

3. Arotor forsgyroscopic tops comprising so as to cause the metal surrounding the two eoisiplementary disks having their pespindle to rigidly grip the spindle. ripheml edges arranged in overlapping 1'e In fiestimony where ogfi, I have hereunto l0 lation, a spindle passing through the center subscllbed y name s 8th y Of y, of said disks, 2L spacer surrounding said 1392- spindle between said disks and forming a backing against which the disks are forced, JOHN C. FORSTER. 

